IT Help Blog
Practical IT and security advice for business owners, written by Rick.
November 10, 2026Microsoft 365 Is Not a Backup: What Microsoft Keeps and for How LongMicrosoft 365 does not back up your data in the way most business owners mean. It keeps deleted files in SharePoint and…Read more →
November 3, 2026Managed IT vs Break/Fix: Which Is Right for a Maine Small Business?What a managed service provider does, how break/fix IT works, and a five-question test for which one a Maine small business needs.Read more →
October 27, 2026How Much Does IT Support Cost for a Small Business in Maine?Short answer: at Information Systems of Maine, fully managed IT for a small business runs $100 to $150 per user per month,…Read more →
July 8, 2019Still on Windows 10? What a Maine Small Business Should Do Before 2027Short answer: Windows 10 reached end of support on October 14, 2025. Consumer security updates were extended in June 2026 and now…Read more →
March 21, 2019Are Cloud Services Right for Your Business? A Decision Guide for Maine Small BusinessesShort answer: for most Maine small businesses, email, calendars, documents and the common line-of-business apps belong in the cloud (Microsoft 365 or…Read more →
February 5, 2019What Network Monitoring Actually Watches (and Why Small Businesses Need It)Short answer: network monitoring means a small software agent on every computer, server and network device reports its health around the clock…Read more →
December 21, 2018Business Wi-Fi Done Right: How to Design a Wireless Network for a Maine Office, Shop or ClinicShort answer: a good business Wi-Fi network has business-grade access points placed by a site survey (roughly one per 1,500 to 2,500…Read more →
November 6, 2018The One Setting That Stops Most Email Hacks: Multi-Factor AuthenticationShort answer: turn on multi-factor authentication (MFA) for every email account in the business, using an authenticator app or a passkey rather…Read more →
October 17, 2018Moving Your Business? The IT Checklist for an Office Move in Greater PortlandShort answer: start the IT side of an office move eight weeks out, because business internet in Greater Portland can take four…Read more →
August 28, 2018How Much Should a Small Business Budget for IT? Three Things Every Plan NeedsShort answer: published benchmarks put total technology spending at roughly 3 to 7 percent of revenue for small businesses, with the share…Read more →
November 10, 2016Deleted Doesn’t Mean Gone: How to Wipe a Computer or Phone Before You Sell or Recycle ItShort answer: deleting files and emptying the trash leaves the data on the drive, recoverable with free software. Before a computer or…Read more →
October 16, 2016The Small Business Security Baseline: 8 Controls Every Maine Office NeedsShort answer: a small business is reasonably protected when eight controls are in place: multi-factor authentication on email and remote access, scheduled…Read more →September 28, 2016Passwords and MFA for Small Businesses: The Setup That Actually WorksShort answer: a small business needs three things: a password manager for every employee, unique passphrases of at least 14 characters generated…Read more →Improve your tech operation today